Improvement in fire-proof safes



@when fates @anni @Hirn II. ASHCRO-FT, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent, No. 66,062, dated Juize 25, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-PROI SAFES.

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,'lO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONCERN:

V Bc it known that I, E. II. ASHGROFT, of the city of Lynn, in the county of Essegin the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safes; and I do herebgi declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,4 reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and 'te the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing a fire-proof safe to be hereafter described.

Toena-ble others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describeits construction and operation. i

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my safe.

Figure 2 a top, and

Figure 3 a side view.

Figure 4 a vertical, and

Figure 5 a horizontal section and Figure 6 a section of water-chamber of door. i

Althonghgreat improvements have been made in safes, theyv are' .still 4found to be more or less not suiiiciently tire-proof, to remedy which I have made certain improvements.

The exterior of my safe is constructed of meta-l 'plates A, having a. door, B, opening into a chamber, C, -which c hamber may be lined with wood a, which can be made removable. Around this wooden lining orattached to it,`I put a covering 0f .hair felting, 7J, which is a goed 'non-conduetor of heat, which will also contribute to absorb dampness. Neiit to this is a metal lining, e, and surrounding this is a lining or filling of eement, tl. Surrounding this, again, on the several sides, top, and bottom,'is a water-chamber, e and` between this and the exterior the spa-ce is filled with cementf. In the door I5 the fillings and linings come in the same order. Water is supplied to its chamber e through any suitahleiopening in the top, eloserl` by a screw-plug,g, and at the bottom of the safe there is a screw-plug, t, connecting withthe Vwaterfehatnberle, by which the water may be drawn off. z' represents perforated pipes around the doorBandnearits joint. These connect with the Water-chamber einsitle of the safe, and when steam is generated in said chamberby'theheat, these pipesl perform two offices, namely, relieve the water-space'pressure and (loaden the fire around the doei' joints. llhese pipes have fine wire gauze in them at their joint or bendj to prevent the too rapid discharge of water from them'ater-ehamber e, and, should the safe fall, willallow enough to pass through, under pressure, to protect the door from becoming overheated *to destruction. C. is a cook Connecting with the water-chamber 12, having a fusible plug inside of it. When a safe is permar'ientllif located on a good foundation, water pipes majv connect with it, and when the plug melts it will permit the ow of water in to the water-space. The nut or fitting on the top of the safe by which water is ortlinarily supplied to the chamber e is a hollow safety-plug, screwing` down upon a fusible disknand which will fuse inside of bursting pressure, and thus relieve the safe from bursting. The water-chamber D in the door may have any number of suitable openings, k, inlits` top, for the escape of steam through the joints of the door B, and these may be covered with ganze for the same purpose as that mentioned in trie pipes z'. The water-chambers should be made of galvanized metal to prevent rustingr or oxidation.

Having thus described my invention, what I cla-im as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the Unitedv States, is its follows:

1. In a tire-proof safe, the combination of awateiwspaee or chamber, a7., with the pipes e' leading therefrom and surrounding the door, constructed and operating in the manner shown and as set forth.

2. In a tire-prcof safe,'a lining of t'elting, 6, or the equivalent thereof, for the purpose specified.

3. In a fire-proof safe, the eombinationof a water-chamber with a safety-plug, g, erits etpiivalant, for the purpose set forth.

E. II. ASHCROFT.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. Asnenorr, EDWIN J. WRIGHT. 

